Adorama “FORGOT” to apply a discount.

It is now well into Friday afternoon, and they are off at Adorama already. I would imagine that Helen can help you next week to resolve this: http://photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=3913334

They'll fix it. It's a screw up but they won't rip you off. Probably an error in their ordering software.

It you are in NJ then Adorama will charge you tax because they ship from a warehouse in NJ and if they have a physical presence in the state, they have to charge sales tax. Apart from NY and NJ I don't think Adorama have a physical presence in any other state.

Like B&H they are closed Friday afternoons and all day Saturday, so don't expect any response before Sunday at the earliest, maybe Monday.

". . . It all started with Rockwell . . ."
Okay, I want you to look carefully at what you wrote, and think on that a minute.

John, what are you getting at? http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/2009-10-new.htm Look at October 15th and there's a link to get 50% off.

Bob, yes nj I didnt know they operated out of here, so since they are present I shouldn't complain about tax, bust still extra postage is sneaky. Free but we will charge you postage, but stick it in another box that is alredy coming to you. If they want to charge me then send out 2 individual items, but not pocket the money.

John, it was irony and it was implied. ;)

Dan, I don't think he meant that I was lying.

As far as the Rockwell is concerned, he is good for entertainment and just to see whats going on with photo products and deals(well I hope so). Rockwell pictures are only good in his desert scape photos and junk yards, besides that all he dose is snap shots, very very average. I tolerate him but understand how he gets under peoples skin. What is sad is that he preaches and instructs people about photography, and its obvious he dose not have any concept of photography besides deserts and junk yards.

I ran into a Rockwell disciple about 18 months ago. I just got the d300 and was walking around central park, randomly taking pictures getting a feel for the new camera and seeing what it can do. I stoped by the pond that has the remote control sail boats, that place always attracts people and kids. I was attracted by available benches.

The park is funny in that way, whenever you take a picture, someone seems to come over with their camera to see what you are taking pictures of, and there they came. A mother,daughter, son, and dad in that order. Dad was wearing white shorts, was very fat, you can see the camera strap hanging around his neck, a d40 was resting on his protruding stomach, sb400 attached to camera. I dont think he needed the strap, he was moving so slow that if he just placed the camera on his tummy it would just stay there.

Incidentally, another thing I notice, you always spot an obese person strutting around with DSLR equipment for all to see. I am not too fat, so when I am not shooting, I carry my camera in a backpack. Maybe the obese dont like backpacks?

Dad sees me and sits on the opposite side of the bench I am sitting on. Lines up the kids and wife and snaps away. They do their 2 or 3 shots, wife comes over to see the pictures, kids are running around being kids. She looks they exchange some words and leaves to attend to the kids. Its just the two of us on the bench. All this time I am playing with my camera not really paying attention to them.

HIM-So what kind of camera is that? ME-its a d300 HIM-camera dose not really matter. What fallowed was something that seemed an endless barrage of those Rockwellien jems of wisdom. Finally I interrupt him and state, you must be in to ken rockwell? he said yes. I said let me see your pictures, and slid over closer to him, luckily the bench did not tip over.

I look at the ones he just took with his wife and kids, the background was totally blown out. I take his little flash of and put on my sb800. Told him to call wife and kids over for another picture. The wife was like WTF?, but she complied. I exposed for the background and the flash lit up the foreground. Got my flash off, look now is this a better shot? Yes better, wife came to see, O WOW thats nice. "How did you do that?" I explained to him what i did, also explained his little flash disadvantages. They wanted to get "my flash" right away. I told him not to go to the tourist stores, and gave him address of BnH.

This is my Rockwell experience. He dose not practice flash photography, with fill out side you can get so many cool pictures, with bounce inside you can get amazing pictures. He tells people to get the little flash, and camera dose not matter. The guy is a joke as a photographer, but a far as a clown that lets you know whats going on in gear he is good.

I dont claim to be a professional by any standard, but he dose, and he misleads unsuspecting people to support his stupid assertions.

So John you are right, Rockwell seems to screw up everything thing he touches.

My experiences with their little store downtown have all been grim at best. They seem to have "forgot" how, or never knew how to attract and keep customers.

Their salesmen attempt to wait on three customers at once, giving none of the three adequate attention. I've seen more PO'd people barge out of their doors than any retail establishment I've ever been in. I suspect the elderly man at the door (he buzzes you in and out) was chosen due to his deafness. This so he can't hear the curses being screamed or muttered by the exiting angry.

Their used cameras used to be shrink wrapped. And they wouldn't allow you to un-wrap them until you bought them. WTF?

The last time I was forced to buy film from them (back when film was in popular professional use). They tried to sell me 4 unrefrigerated bricks of PNC400, that was about 3 weeks short of their expiration dates. And they offered no explanation or short date discount.

And last of all: I UPS returned a $69 Sunpak flash for credit (it was new and wouldn't fire). After about three months I had to go down to their store and argue for twenty minutes before they would credit my account the money.
They may advertise here, and be possible good buddies with the PN staff? But I wouldn't deal with them on a bet. IMHO, they are a throwback to a bygone era when semi "crooked to criminal" camera stores, were prevalent in NYC. (Abe's, Cambridge, etc). Back when bait and switch and the "removal of included items" ("sorry the battery and case are extra") was the norm.

As for Ken Rockwell. He is simply another blogger with to much time on his hands. And like most bloggers, he is harmless unless you believe his words.

like most bloggers, he is harmless unless you believe his words.

Kind of like forum posters.

I don't think you can throw Adorama in with Cambridge Camera! As far as I know Adorma haven't been accused of removing supplied accessories, bait and switch and may of the other creative tactics that Cambridge had for seperating you from your money. I once went into the Cambridge store (must have been 20 years ago) and it was indeed a dingy little hole with salesmen misleading customers. Quite an experience. They did have one great feature though. They would advertise stuff way cheaper than other stores. At the time my credit card had a "we will match any better advertised price within 30 days" policy, so I could buy from B&H, show the Cambridge ad in the next month's Pop Photog to the CC company and they would refund the difference.

On the other hand I've dealt with Adorama quite a bit over the last 10 years and never had a significant problem (all mail order, I've never visited their store). I have visited B&H in person, and it's going to be very hard for anyone anywhere to have a brick and mortar photography retail store that competes with them!

That was an interesting story about some guy in the park you didn't care for.
I was thinking John was refering to a different Rockwell, but no matter I'm sure in some way they are both related to your experience with Adorama. Check your images closely.